Apology served at Oxford diner that refused service dog

Wednesday

Aug 28, 2013 at 6:00 AMAug 28, 2013 at 7:28 AM

Big I's restaurant owner Russell Ireland says he has learned his lesson. "I learned a lot about PTSD since this happened and I'm still learning even more," he said. "I understand the whole PTSD thing and the dogs a lot better that I did prior to this."

And since James Glaser, an Air Force veteran, thought the owner of Big I's restaurant on Main Street needed a little education about post-traumatic stress disorder and the use of service dogs to treat it, everyone involved should be satisfied.

But they're not.

On Tuesday, Mr. Ireland apologized on the radio during WAAF's "Hillman Morning Show" after some of the hosts questioned him about tossing Mr. Glaser and Jack, his service dog, out of the restaurant on Saturday. He apologized again in a telephone interview. He has said he just didn't believe that the small dog could possibly be a service animal.

Mr. Ireland said Tuesday he's not contrite because of threats on social media or harassing calls to his business but because he has new understanding of Mr. Glaser's situation since a few veterans have come in or called and kindly explained to him some things he didn't know.

"I learned a lot about PTSD since this happened and I'm still learning even more," he said. "I understand the whole PTSD thing and the dogs a lot better that I did prior to this."

Joshua Fisher, an employee at Big I's, said he also thought the dog wasn't a service dog based on things he saw during previous visits.

"We have other customers who won't let us touch the service dogs because it takes them off the job," Mr. Fisher said. "I ask if I can give the dog a sausage and they tell me, 'Absolutely not.' But he was letting people pet this dog; it was acting like a family dog. We didn't know. We'd never seen this."

Mr. Ireland said he's since learned that some service dogs can be petted and that PTSD dogs and some seizure-detecting animals can be petted and still perform their duties.

"I did not know that before," Mr. Ireland said. "But what I've learned is that it's up to the discretion of the owner."

Whether the dog ate off a restaurant plate, smelled bad or wasn't properly leashed remains in dispute. Things Mr. Fisher said are more "he said, he said," and won't likely be resolved.

And Mr. Ireland is still concerned about what he felt was a threat that Mr. Glaser made regarding bringing in agencies that might fine him. He said he wouldn't be comfortable with Mr. Glaser dining at the restaurant.

Mr. Glaser said Tuesday afternoon that he hadn't heard an apology and has had no contact with Mr. Ireland. But if the diner owner learned something from the experience, he said he is glad.

Still, he and about 600 others plan to rally at Big I's Saturday morning for a peaceful event to call attention to the use of service dogs by those suffering from PTSD. A Facebook page calling for a boycott of the restaurant had more than 26,600 followers by Tuesday evening, and many were visiting other websites to offer bad reviews of the diner.

Mr. Glaser said on his Facebook page he doesn't want to put Big I's out of business and stressed that those showing support for him should behave respectfully because he's taking a path of educating business owners so others won't undergo similar experiences. He said his own PTSD is triggered by different things but he becomes most anxious when he sees people in traditional Muslim dress because of his experiences in Iraq.

"For some people it's helicopters or crowds," he said. "It's whatever causes the PTSD in the first place."

Those who have PTSD often get physical symptoms such as profuse sweating, upset stomachs and headaches when a trigger sends them to "that dark place," Mr. Glaser explained.

"I used to get mad, yell, break things," he said. Now Jack senses by smelling chemicals released by the stressed body before an attack and he takes action to distract his owner.

Jack, a rescue dog that already had skills that other service animals must be taught, was trained by Train a Dog, Save a Warrior.

Bart Sherwood, the program director for the Texas-based Train a Dog, Save a Warrior, said calls about service dogs working with people who have "invisible wounds" are frequent and he agreed that more education of the general public is needed

Mr. Glaser said he hates being in the situation he's in but also feels that it's put him in a position to provide more education about service dogs.

"A PTSD veteran commits suicide every 25 hours in the United States," he said, adding that if the dog can help, it truly can save a life.

He also believes that people will start seeing more and more dogs helping those with PTSD and other non-visible ailments because PTSD diagnoses aren't limited to veterans. He's hoping they'll be treated properly and in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

He acknowledged that there are websites that are hurting his cause by providing phony certificates for dogs that make it appear they're service animals.

Mr. Ireland said he is saddened by the turn of events and admits he doesn't always express himself in the nicest of ways.

"I know I'm not a very eloquent guy," he said. "But the next time? I will handle it very differently."

He said he is mulling a few ideas that others have suggested such as a fundraiser for local veterans to try to make amends.

Mr. Glaser said people have asked him about making donations to help him out but he doesn't want to raise money from what's happened.

He suggested they donate to a properly registered veterans' charity, maybe even the Train a Dog, Save a Warrior program, which helped him get Jack trained.

And he wouldn't mind if donors contributed in honor of Jack because "Jack's a pretty friggin' awesome little guy ... and the quality of my life is so much improved (with him)."

Contact Kim Ring at kring@telegram.com. Follow her on Twitter @kimmring.